Stalk-cutter.



PATBNTED JUL 55 7,

W. H. STOPPLE. STALK CUTTER. LIGATION FILED SEPT.10, 190v.

1% I n dose 4., 8 Wad/M.

is). sesees.

' a citizen of the Texas, have in 2% all whom "it Be it lmown t Delles, in the coon" lied tleereinte the eeconfzpeny j drewi This invention relates improv stalk cutters, and he '1 its object the TU" vision oi means for 'i'ecilitetmg the cutting of stalks in TO" 's.

Another object of the invention is the PTO- vision ofrneens for facilitating the adjustment of the blade or blades of a stall; cutter,

end, furthermore, the peculiar construction of s sled-frame which will prevent the nae chine o1 cutter from being moved from the desired osition between the rows, even though the growth on one side otthemechine is thinner or heavier than that on the I op osite side; V1th these and other ob ects in view, the

' ture depicted in Fl.

inclined, their, trout ends see 11 invention consists of certain novel construe tions, combinations, and si'rengen'lents of parts, as will he lie'i'eineitci' fully described and claimed. In the fir-(wings: Vi e l top plan view of e cutter or omen, e cone-tvmzted in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation oi'the struc- 1. 3 is e transverse, sectional view til-ken on line 3, 3, Fig. 1 and looking in the dir ion of the arrow. Fig. 4 is a transverse, SCGJiOHil view taken on line d, 4, Fit 1 end looking in the direction of the e Referring t v by nni'nerels, 'i is e, dil't. bcznn constituting a part of the sled-lr.-nne. The die'it bcem is provided zit its front end with suitable means, whereby a draft sniinel may be attach-ed thereto. A seat Z'is seciired to the upper poi-tion of tile draft-beam near itsrcer end. A lnmdle 3 is formed upoflthe rem end of the draft bee-1n, whereby theopcfetoifl n sy {grasp seid beam for lifting o1 ineiinelly-sdj13min"'the cuttei or nmchine. ltunnei's i, gin..- lily formed of angle-iron, sic on ed ne'er their resiends to draft-dis c 2 by Hlwltllfi of res?- diveirgi is 5;, 5,- While secured to the draft beam by front, inclined standards 6, 6. Each of the rear standards 5 is provided with a horizontal extension 7 near its lower end end with. e vertical extension. 8 at upper end. Any suitable fastening means,

for through the horizontal extei'ision '7 and the hoi'iscntel portion of the engledron'i'unner 4%, While pzofellel portions 8 of said stands eids ug, secured against the-sides of the bemn' .3: any suitable transverse fastening moan-a i0 extending thi'ough seid portions 8 and beam 1. Each of the front standards 6 is cmvided with e substantially vertical P01.

with e horizontal portion 12 instence, belts or rivets 13, secure the verticel portions 11 of the front standards 6 against the sides of the beam 1. The horizontal )oitions 12 of the front stand srds are secured parallel with the front portions of the'rinuiers by menns of deto'cheble bolts 14.

The front standards 6 are strengthened by e horizontal brace 15, which brace is provided at its ends with engulsrly-disposedportions 16, the itllgulitllY-(llSPOSECl portlons 16 being fixedly secured to the stenderd 6 by any suitable fastening means, as for instance, rivets 17.

steer brace 18 is provided with singularlydisposed portions, 16, and these ortlons ere secured egsinstthe standards 5 y any suitable fastening means, as for instance, rivets 17. The Free? bracelS constitutes-a footrest. it will noted that the seat 2 is so "tends to revent the frame from lmvin en T lateral movement, as it asses between the rows. Oi course, it wi be obvious that inst-once, s rivet oi bolt *3, is passed The item standards 5 are alsostiengthcned by a horizontal. brace 18, s1m1- ler in construction to the brace 15. The

when the operetor is seeted upon the frame,

his weight will eat as ebellest for holding {m ne in pC-SLUOEL. The vertical portions 01' the engleeron runners t cut into the,

ground and also assist in pie'venting the me irom swinging or skewing-to one side.

TY Therefore, it "will be noted that there-ere two mechanical features of my sled-frame, which. hold the frame against msliding or lateral displacement, to Wit; the flanged 01' described. The horizontal )ortion of the cutter bars is provided, preierabl with a series of apertures, and the blades 20 are also provided with asiniilar number of aper- "tureswhich register, when the blades and cutter bars are assembled. Suitable fastening-means 21-, as for instance, bolts, are po- -,sit1oned within the registering a ertures of the blades and bars, andthen oreinary nuts are threaded upon the ends of the bolts for securing the bars and blades together; If it is desired, the blades 20 can be adjusted longitudinally of the cutter bars by removing the bolts and moying the blades. rearwardly, as. shown by dotted lines 22, Fig. 1, and then inserting bolts 20 in the registering apertures of the blades and bars. By means of this adjustment, stalks grown in rows spaced apart a great distance,- can be cut, whereas pundernormal conditions, the machine can a comparatively short rear ends of the putter bars, and the blades cut stalks grown in rows very close together. The cutter bars strengthen the blades. Even its extreme cases, when the rows of stalks are a great distance apart, it willbnly be'necessary to adjust abortion of the blades istance beyond the are of sufficient strength to resist any strain placed thereon in' cutting the stalks, even though the angle-iron cutter bars do not extend the entire length of the blades when so adj usted. The vertical portion of the cutterbars constitutes a rib for reinforcing the horiz'ontal portion thereof. The blades, through the medium of the cutter-bars, are adjustably secured to the beam 1 and the runners a.

' The means for adj'u'stably securing the bladesand cutter-bar's to the beam 1 coinprises inclined braces 23, which are provided at their lower ends with horizontal portions 24 resting upon the hor'iaontal portion oi the i of the blades.

the a. erture of the horizontal ortion 2 1,

means of abolt 21.

cutter-bars. Each horizontal portion is provided with an aperture which registers with an aperture of one of the cutter-bars and one A bolt 21 is positioned within and .t ereby secures the inclined race 23'to said bar and blade. em loyed in the constructionof my machine, and this.b'race 25 is connected, nearits upper end, by any suitable fastening means, as for instance, rivet 26,; to an inclined, primary brace 23, and the lower end of each of the braces 25 is connected to a cutter bar by It will be'noted that strengthen the cutter double these braces 25 great bars and blades, as t An auxiliary brace 25 isand its The hor1- connection between each brace respective cu ter bar and blade. Zontal brace is connected near its ends to the inclined braces by means of rivet 26 and rivets or bolts The upper end 29 of each of the inclined braces 23 is, preferably, formed in a vertical plane, so that the same may rest snugly against the vertical side if beam 1. Each of the upper ends or angularly-disposed portions 29 of the braces 23 is provided with, preferably, a series of apertures 30, vhereby suitable fastening means, as for instance, bolts 31, may be passed through the apertures 30 of the braces 23 and registering apertures of beam 1, and secure the braces 23 in an adjusted position. It will be obvious that by removin the bolts 31, the braces 23 can be adjuster vertically upon the sides of the beain 1, and, subsequently, the bolts can be inserted into the registering a )ertures for retaining said braces in their adjusted osition. The vertical adjustment of the races 23 will, consequently, raise or lower the blades 20, so"

that said blades can be adjusted to acconrmodate the dnierent conditions under which the machine may be required to work. For

instance, if the stalks are grown in ridges, it

will be necessary to adjust the blades to a higher position than if the stalks were in level ground.

The bolts 14 perform the same function with respect to securing the blades and cut ter bars together, as the bolts 21, only I, preferably, form bolts 14 longer thanbolts 21,

.for the reason that the adjustment of the front ends of the blades and cutter bars is obtained through the medium of these bolts 14, and, preferably, washers 32. If the blades are to'be raised, a suitable number of Washers 32 may be placed upon the bolts 14 between the blades and the runners 4, after which nuts may threaded upon the bolts for securing the runners and blades to ether. By removing a washer or Washers, the blades may be lowered.

If it is desired to lower the blades and re tain the washers noon the machine, this may be accomplished by removing the washers, lowering the blade, and then,subsequently, placing thewashers on the bolts 14 above the cutter bars (Fig. 4) and then threading, the nuts upon said bolts. v

It will be obvious that have provided means for vertically adjusting the front ends of the blades upon the runners of the sled frame, besides l have provided means for adjusting the blades intermediate or near their .rea'rends u on the sled-frame.

I have ound from practical experience that, by reason of the peculiar positioning of the angle-iron runners, with respect to each other, which constitutes a spreadingoi the seineat of said hame, with the opcrators r ballast, the machine or cutter will set itself perfectly steady in its line of draft and show no inclination to get out of its course when cutting in irregular growths, as for instance a heavy buneh of stalks on one side and a gap or light growth on the other. 7

The blades 20 are, preferably, beveled .u on their upper faces for forming a cutting ,upon the cutter bars, as hereinbel'ore de' scribed.

What 1 claim is:

1. A stalk cutter, cmuprising a sled-frame provided with runners positioned at an angle to each other, a blade contiguous to said sled.-

' frame, and means adjustably securing said blade to said sled--lrame.

2. A stalk cutter, comprising a sled-frame provided with a beam and a runner, a blade,- means detachably securing sa d blade to the runner near its front end, and means detachably securing said blade intermediate its ends to the beam.

3. A stalk cutter comprising a sled-frame, said Frame provided with a pair of angle-iron runners, each runner disposed at an angle-to the other runner, a beam, standards connecting said beam to said runners, a blade, and means connecting said blade to said sledl'rame.

4. A stalk cutter, comprising a sled-trame provided' with a runner and a beam, a blade, means securing the blade near its front end to the runner, and means securing the blade to said beam.

5. A stalk cutter, comprising a sled-frame, said slcd-l'ramc comprising runners, a beam, standards connecting said runners near their trout and rear ends to said beam intermediate-its cmls, bladcs positioned upon opposite sides of said beam and contiguous to said runners, means connecting said blades to said runners, 1 and means connecting the blades intermediate thcir ends to said beam.

6. A stalk cutter, comprising a frame provided with a beam, a blade connected near its lront end to said frame, a brace connected at one cnd to said bcam, means connecting the opposite end oi said brace to said blade intermediate its ends, an auxiliary brace connectcd at one cnd to said tirst-mentioncil brace, and means connecting the opposite end of said auxiliary brace to said blade.

'7. A'stalk cutter, comprising a slcdd'rame provided with runners and a beam, standards connected at. their upper ends to said beams and at their lower ends to said runners, a horizontal bracc sccurcd between and its ends to said standards, said lH'tH't constituting a foot-rest, and blades secured to said sled-frame.

S. A stalk cutter, comprising a slcd-l'rame provided with a pair oi runners and a i. am, inclined standards connecting said beam to said runners near their rear end, a seat socured to said beam contiguous to said standards, a brace connecting said :istandards be tween their ends, said brace constituting a toot-rest, and blades secured to said sledframe.

9. A stalk cutter provided with a beai'n and a runncr, a blade, a bolt extending through said runner and blade, a washer earried by said bolt and interposed between said blade and runner. a nut thretulcd upon. said bolt, and means connecting said blade intermediate its ends to said beam.

it). A stalk cutter, comprising a frame, a blade positioned contiguous to said frame, a. detzichable member interposed between said blade and frame, a bolt extending through said frame, detachable member, and blade, and means for securing said bolt upon said runner, detachable member, and blade.

11. A stalk cutter. comprising a frame, a blade positioned contiguous to said frame, spacing means interposml between said frame and blade, and means for securing said blade, spacing means, and trame together.

1;. A stalk cutter, comprising a iramc provided with a beam, a blade, means securing said blade near its front end to said frame, a

brace provided with a plurality of apertures near one end, means extending through one of said apertures and detachabl securing said brace to said beam, and means securing the opposite end of said brace to said blade.

13. A stalk cutter, comprising a frame, a cutter bar, means securing said cutter bar to said l'rame, a detachable blade engaging said cutter bar, and detachable means securing said blade to said cutter bar, Wlltl'tl) said blade may be adjusted longitudinallythereot.

14. A. stalk cutter, comprising a lrame provided with angnlarlyalisposcd runners and with inclined standards, bl'accs connecting said standards intcrnnaliatc their ends, and blades secured to said frame.

15. A stalk cutter, coin )rising at l'rame pro vided with a horizontal biade, and means for bodily, vertically adjusting the blade and securing the same in diil'crcnt horizontal planes.

in testimony whercol' l hereunto atlix my signature in presence ol' two witnesses.

\Jlldddhl ll. S'IOPPLE.

Witnesses:

.\l. L. liOBHK'ISUN, Wu. l). Sim-sou. 

